KEY POINTS:
Error-free golf of the highest calibre carried New Zealand's Tim Wilkinson to third place and an enormous PGA Tour payday at the New Orleans Classic today.
Wilkinson finished just two shots off the pace at the $US6.2 ($NZ7.9) million tournament after shooting a brilliant five-under 67 today, the
second best round of the day.
It left the diminutive 29-year-old from Palmerston North on 11-under, two behind Argentine winner Andres Romero. Peter Lonard of Australia was second on 12-under.
Wilkinson wins $US421,000 for his finish, to add to the $US211,108 he had banked in what has been an excellent debut season on the world's toughest tour.
Last week he finished in a tie for sixth in the Puerto Rico Open.
In eight tournaments he is already close to guaranteeing a return to the Tour next year.
Wilkinson started today in 13th place but opened his round in stunning style, shooting birdies on the second, fifth, sixth, ninth and 10th holes.
He then parred his final eight holes, a difficult section of the TPC Louisiana course.
It typified a tournament where he shot just one bogey over his final 48 holes.
Romero, then Wilkinson, were early to finish, having to wait over an hour for the only other challenger, Lonard, to finish before they learned their fate today.
Wilkinson has now earned more than $US1 million in his professional career in the United States.
He compiled $US352,397 in four years on the second-tier Nationwide Tour before winning his PGA card at the Tour School last December.
Wilkinson climbs from 105th to 41st on 2008 PGA Tour money earnings. The top 125 at the end of the year retain their cards for 2009.
He also sits at 45th on the FedEx Cup standings. The leading 90 golfers on those standings in August qualify for a lucrative series of tournaments near the end of the season.
He expressed delight at his form today in a typically understated manner.
"To play well down the stretch when it mattered was good," Wilkinson told Radio Sport.
"I've hit some good solid shots and made some putts. Not many bogeys makes a big difference."
Only one player of the 80 who made the cut had fewer bogies than the New Zealander.
Wilkinson said a different wind direction made the closing holes more difficult today, particularly the par-threes.
He was especially pleased to hold his nerve in the final round of a tournament, an area he believed had let him down this year.
"Having been in good position a couple of times previously and not played well the last round ... to finish strongly in the last two tournaments has been really good," he said.
"I thought I had a good chance today. Had a couple of putts dropped on the back nine, I would have probably been in a playoff."
He put his performances over the past two weeks down to a swing change he adopted to improve his long game.
"I wasn't hitting my irons very well, there was inconsistent flight. I was drawing too much and I straightened it out two weeks ago. It gives me more chances for birdies really.
"Just of late I've started to play really well again, just consistent golf. It's been a great two weeks really."
Wilkinson was unsure how close he would now come to qualifying for his first golf Major but he anticipated now being eligible for most of the big tournaments on the PGA Tour.
Before Lonard had even finished his round today, Wilkinson was embarking on a 4-1/2 hour drive to Humble in Texas, where he will tee off in next week's $US5.6 million Houston Open.
- NZPA